Two facing drug charges after Weirton raid

September 7, 2013

WEIRTON - Two people, one of them from Chicago, were arrested Thursday during a drug raid on Marland Heights.

Authorities say Anthony Eugene Polk, 25, of Chicago and Tawnya Nicole Metheny, 28, of Lindberg Way were taken into custody Thursday at her apartment.

Polk, a fugitive from justice in Illinois, is being held without bond in the Northern Regional Jail pending extradition proceedings.

Metheny, charged with possession of a controlled substance and obstruction, allegedly had a "large quantity" of heroin in her possession at the time of her arrest. She's being held at the jail on $10,000 bail.

Police Chief Bruce Marshall said the drugs were packaged, so he couldn't really say how much was seized or figure its street value.

"We received information, drug information, about the residence," he said. "We went up to investigate and the arrests were a result of that investigation."

Metheny had only recently returned from the Chicago area, he said, adding Polk "had just come into town" on the return trip.

The chief said Polk, booked on a parole violation, "has a violent history," though he didn't elaborate.

Marshall credited area law enforcment personnel for their efforts in planning and executing the raid, done in conjunction with the Weirton-Brooke-Hancock drug task force and Steubenville police.

"Our guys did a great job," he said, applauding the inter-agency cooperation. "Fortunately in this valley, everybody works together."

And he said the drug problem in Weirton is growing.

"Unfortunately, this isn't an uncommon occurrence. Everybody we have is working - our administrators, everybody - is out working the road. We have to stay on this, and to do that we have to have the officers (to do the job)," he said, pointing out that another officer resigned this week, leaving his department four short. "We need to bring more people in to take the test, we need to bring our ranks back up."